The United States Department of Homeland Security has listed 124 Nigerians among foreign nationals marked for deportation over criminal convictions.
Vanguard and Daily Trust both reported that DHS published the names and photographs as part of an immigration enforcement register focused on people it described as serious criminal offenders.
The US authorities did not state when the listed Nigerians would be deported. They also did not provide a case-by-case breakdown of the offences linked to each person in the published list.
According to the reports, the list was released on Wednesday on the DHS website and tied to enforcement work by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
DHS said the publication was part of a broader effort to prioritise the removal of migrants considered threats to public safety.
Daily Trust reported that the department described those listed as foreign nationals in ICE custody who had criminal convictions.
The case is likely to draw attention in Nigeria because it involves a large number of citizens and public identification by a foreign government. It also comes amid tougher immigration enforcement in the United States.
For affected families, the key unanswered questions remain the timing of removals, whether any appeals are pending and whether Nigerian consular officials have been notified in each case.
Sources: Vanguard, Daily Trust
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